


Wrong First Impressions

by Hotaru_Mizuno



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Coffee Shops, Fluff, Fluffitiy Fluff, Libraries, M/M, Mentioned Characters, This is a repost
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-13
Updated: 2019-10-13
Packaged: 2020-12-07 22:48:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,530
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20983667
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hotaru_Mizuno/pseuds/Hotaru_Mizuno
Summary: Alfred is an author facing a writer's block, desperate for ideas. While browsing a library for that idea, he meets the hot librarian there.





	Wrong First Impressions

**Author's Note:**

> This is the second fic I ever posted, and like all my work in 2018, it sucked horribly. It was also back before I had any confidence in myself or my work and upon seeing my atrocious grammar I panicked and orphaned the work rather than actually doing anything.  
So now a horrid broken version of this is out there, roaming the depths of Ao3
> 
> Beyond all the spelling errors and crimes against the English language, it's actually a pretty good oneshot, so here's the patched up version I saved on Wattpad. I do hope to post all my oneshots on Wattpad like I have done with Emerald Rose, and even carry all of those to FF.net, if I can figure out how to work the damm website. FF.net doesn't leave much room for smut tho, so we may have some problems, lol.  
Once I finish my 30 day OTP challenge, I can get to posting more than just one shots.  
So yeah, enjoy! ^^

The quiet of the library seemed to swallow him whole, leaving all of his troubles as clear as day. Now that he was in the company of nothing but books and silence, with the occasional whispers, his stress from the past few days, possibly weeks, was starting to chip away at him.

Alfred was in the library, browsing the shelves. It was not a hobby of his to visit the library, but at the moment he was sort of desperate. He was fast approaching the deadline and if he didn't come up with something fast, his editor would have his head.

According to his friends, he was suffering a writer's block. He was having trouble coming up with inspiration for his book that he was writing. It was the fourth installment in a series that had been fast gaining popularity. Alfred wasn't expecting for his little project to end up as something so famous in just a few short years, but it had somehow happened.

Alfred could feel a smile curl at his lips as he saw his name on the spines of the books on the shelves in from of him. All three of his books were there, each one having three to five copies of each. It seemed the series had been checked out so much the library had bought several copies. Other published stories of his were there too, still having multiple copies but not getting as much attention as his first attempt at a series. To this day it still made his day to see his own work in such high regard. Call him an optimist, but it always gave him confidence that he could pull through his stress, that he'll come up with something and everyone would think it was brilliant.

Not in this case though. Not when his deadline was a week away. Oh god, Matthew was going to kill him. Mattie was sweet, but if need be he was like a grizzly bear. Sometimes he was told that it was rather lucky he had ended up with his brother as his editor, Alfred sometimes said it was unlucky.

Alfred stared at the bookshelves, wracking his brain for ideas. Anything. Anything at all! Just something that might pass and make a couple of pages. It was the only reason Alfred would ever really go to libraries, for inspiration.

He slowly slid the first book of his series off the shelf and held it in his hands. The thing was hardback, with a heavy cover. Alfred felt a fond familiarity at seeing the old thing. The one that had started it all. The book he had taken off all his time to write, the book that people said would never sell, the book that chased off most of his friends. he could almost grin at it. Alfred never thought he would be so fond of a book.

"Excuse me, we're closing soon."

Alfred was deterred from his thoughts by an accented voice behind him. He slowly turned to see a small man with an armful of books. He looked up at the American with a rather neutral expression. Alfred blinked. He stared, and his heart, quite literally, skipped a beat.

This man was sort of cute.

He had unruly blond hair that looked as if it'll never be tamed. He seemed just a few centimeters shorter than Alfred, with a smaller body too. On his face was a cute patch of freckles, only seen if you looked close enough. Above them was a pair of deep green eyes, brilliant green that looked like emeralds. Alfred would've laughed on any other occasion than this, but the man also had massive eyebrows.

Alfred almost panicked a little at realizing he had been staring. Oh god, what was he doing?

"S-sorry....just a little distracted," Alfred said, darting his eyes around. The Brit hadn't seemed to mind him, his gaze had wandered down to the book he had been holding.

"Are you a fan of those books?" The Brit said, sounding interested. Alfred absentmindedly thought he could hear a small hint of excitement in his voice.

Alfred had to keep from grinning from the irony of that question. If only he had any idea that he was talking to the writer of the book in his hands. He somehow managed to keep it cool and swallowed a laugh.

"I guess I'm a pretty big fan," Alfred said casually. "Why?"

"I genuinely enjoy them as well." The Brit answered, smiling a little. "I can't seem to be able to put them down. Have you heard the author's working on a fourth installment in that series?"

Alfred swallowed hard. Yes, he was, and it wasn't going to come out anytime soon if he didn't think of something!! Now he could barely think at all; this Brit was demanding his attention. He wondered what those green eyes looked like while filled with lust, begging for him to......

Shit. He was being ridiculous. "Uh....yeah," Alfred said, hoping he didn't sound as lost as he felt. His mind panicked for an excuse. "Actually, kinda heard he's in a writer's block right now." Shit, shit, he was screwed.

The other blonde's brows furrowed. "Really? That's unfortunate. Perhaps he's having trouble on where to take the story?" He said.

Wasn't that the very definition of a writer's block? He simply hadn't had a good idea about where he would take his heroic character next.

"Maybe." He said. He glanced down at his book. He bit his lip and decided to take the chance. "So, do you have a favorite character?"

"Yes. My favorite is the main protagonist, of course." The Brit said, his eyes clear with interest. "I find his story quite immersing, it always makes me feel for him when he's faced with a problem."

As much as Alfred loved hearing compliments and people talking about his books or characters, this gorgeous small man was making him do nothing short of blush. He nodded quickly, hoping the other won't question his expression.

"Yeah he's pretty great," Alfred said, giving him a grin. He always regarding all of his fictional characters with a certain fondness, even the background ones that have little to do with the overall story.  
"What makes ya like him?"

Alfred's heart soared at seeing a small smile perk of those lips. It wasn't much, it didn't seem like this guy really smiled that much, but Alfred could tell it was genuine.

"I also like his ability to think on the spot, his smartness is impressive. I do like characters who are clever. " the Brit stated.

"Really? I don't usually get too many people saying that." Alfred said casually. Most of the time people said the main protagonist was aloof and charismatic, even a bit obnoxious and blunt, but not really clever. He felt a little surprised at hearing it.

"Yes, well I'm sure some people see it." The Librarian said. "He reminds me a bit of Sherlock Holmes sometimes."

"Okay, now you're pulling my leg," Alfred said, laughing a little. "He's nothing like Sherlock!"

The Englishman gave him a questioning look. "You seem to claim you know a lot about him," he said, his eyes boring into Alfred's like he was reading him like an open book. Oh god.

"I do? Haha, I didn't really think I was that much of an expert." Alfred joked, getting more nervous now. He glanced back down at the book in his hands, trying to find a way out of the current situation.

"Guess I'll check this out then," Alfred said suddenly, cursing his own stupidity. He had multiple copies of this book at home, not to mention the original drafts and notes he had written for it ages ago. This was pointless!!

Well, maybe not entirely.

"Right then, I'll be at the front desk in a minute." The Brit said, disappearing with the books in his hands. Alfred felt his eyes following him as he went. He just stood there for a moment, not registering what happened.

He found himself suddenly having an idea for what to write about.

______________________

Alfred was back again the next day, this time right after lunch. This time he had his laptop and notes with him. He wasn't just here to browse, he was actually going to work.

And he may or may not be getting slightly distracted by the hot librarian.

He kept telling himself it wasn't the only reason for being back at a place he rarely visited. He probably needed a quiet atmosphere to get work done at anyway. His roommate wouldn't have disturbed him anyway, the guy was always way quieter than him, but maybe at a more collective atmosphere?

Or maybe for the fact that he could see the Brit in the corner of his eye as he typed. He inwardly groaned and fixed his eyes on the screen again. Heaven forbid now that he finally had an idea, he was wasting time getting distracted.

He was writing about one of his main character's backstories now. It annoyed him it had taken him this long to come up with anything, but now that he had, he was fully determined to make it as great as possible.

As elusivly as he could, he peeked over the top of his screen, eyes searching for the Brit. He wasn't where he was anymore. Wasn't he behind that shelf over there a second ago?

"Back again, I see." Came an accented voice behind him.

Alfred flinched and slammed his laptop closed. Too many times had he been caught writing to know to not keep it open. Being such a well-known author taught him to avoid questions. His eyes met the smaller man's green ones. He looked genuinely amused.

"Oh..........hi," Alfred said stupidly.

"Good afternoon." The Brit said, smirking. He wasn't restocking books right now, just simply doing his job. "Perhaps you enjoy books? You seem to be working quite digieously there."

Fuck.

"Yeah," Alfred said, giving him a grin. Truth be told, as much as he hadn't liked reading as a kid, it seemed to be his life now. He darted his eyes around the room, not wanting to catch the other's gaze. "I was just doing some work."

"Hm." The Brit said, not taking his eyes off Alfred.

Alfred inwardly grimaced. He did not want this guy asking what his job was. He knew he was a terrible liar. This guy was a fan of his books, there was no way he was not going to be curious if Alfred told him he was the author. He quickly looked for an excuse to change the subject.

"I never got your name," Alfred said. God damm it.

"Arthur. Arthur Kirkland." Said the Brit, holding out his hand for Alfred to shake. "And yours?"

Despite years of education and a degree in literature, Alfred was still a dumbass sometimes.

"Er, it's Allen," Alfred said, hoping he sounded causal. He saw something register in Arthur's eyes but decided not to question it.

"Not going to give me your full name?" Arthur said, raising his enormous eyebrows.

"It's not important," Alfred said quickly. He glanced down at his laptop. He was hoping the fact that he had slammed it shut the second he heard Arthur's voice wasn't giving anything away. Or that he might have damaged the screen. Damm him.

Then again, talking to the Brit again was making his heart flutter. Maybe it was his voice or his eyes or something but the damm librarian was making his mind soar. Alfred wanted every excuse to get lost into those deep green eyes. He just wanted to...

"You're staring," Arthur said, cutting Alfred off. He blinked. He slowly began to notice he had indeed been staring at Arthur for nearly a minute. He also didn't fail to notice that Arthur's face was slightly pink.

"Do you wanna go out sometime?" Alfred said suddenly. Wait, what did he just say?!

Arthur raised an eyebrow. "What?"

Oh shit. Alfred was so dead. His mind burst into a panic for a way to excuse the sudden question. He swallowed hard and looked away.

"We don't have to, just wanted to know if you wanted to hang or go on a date or something," Alfred said quickly. Great, now Arthur probably thought he was weird. He had no idea whether Arthur even liked guys. He could be making the wrong impression.

"You want to go on a date....with me?" Arthur repeated, turning pink. It only made Alfred more nervous that he was blushing.

"Um, yeah?" Alfred confirmed nervously. "You're kind of a neat guy."

Arthur blinked. He looked away. "I suppose.....I'm free on Saturday..."

Alfred grinned. "Deal."

___________________

When was the last time Alfred had asked someone out on these terms? Although, the only friends he had when he started writing was Matthew, Tolys, and his roommate, Kiku. He hasn't been on a date since college.

God, he was such an idiot. Alfred groaned inwardly as he entered the small cafe they had agreed on. it was the only place he felt confident in going in with Arthur, anywhere else would make it more obvious that it might have been a date.

Not that he didn't want to go on a date with that gorgeous-

Stop. Alfred cleared his head as he looked around the small cafe. It was a cozy little place downtown, that sold coffee and other hot drinks. Sometimes pastries. Alfred scanned the room and saw the smaller man's hair peeking out from a table in the corner of his eye. He plastered a big grin on his face and walked over.

"Hey, Artie!" Alfred greeted loudly, pretending his heart hadn't just started beating a little faster. He sat down and quickly put down his bag, hoping Arthur wasn't wondering what job he had that suggested he had needed it.

Arthur furrowed his brow. "It's Arthur.....git."

"Yeah, yeah," Alfred said, ignoring his frown. He gave the other a big smile. He didn't like others questioning him about his problems. There was no need to make a fuss over him. "So, do you go to cafes often?"

"Not really, unless I'm with a friend. My roommate likes to drag me everywhere, bloody frog." Arthur said, a hint of hatred at who he was talking about in his voice. Alfred nodded, glad for any subject that steered away from his career. He noticed Arthur wasn't wearing his usual formal attire, but instead had a simple red shirt covered by a black jacket. It was a bit weird seeing him like this, but Alfred found it slightly....fitting.....

As an hour or so passed, Alfred was enjoying himself, and despite his rumored incapability to read the mood, it looked like so did Arthur. As much positive emotions that passed his face anyway. Alfred found out Arthur had four brothers, all of which he claimed were annoyances. Alfred told him about his twin, Mattie (and left out any certain details.) Alfred found he quite liked talking to Arthur. He had this dusty librarian sort of voice whenever he described something, and to Alfred, it only made him more attractive. He was no longer regretting asking him to hang out.

"So.....do you wanna do this again?" Alfred asked hopefully, sipping the remains of his coffee.

Arthur, turning a little pink, simply just nodded and turned away, his chin hidden behind his tea. He looked kinda cute like that. Alfred inwardly smiled at that.

Maybe this wasn't such a bad idea after all.

___________________

Three hours later, he was back at home, cursing under his breath as he searched his bag frantically for a credit card. He hadn't really remembered putting it back in his wallet or bag, but at this point, he was desperately searching anywhere with or without reason.

"Perhaps you misplaced it?" Said his Japanese roommate from the table, looking a little concerned for his sake.

"Maybe," Alfred said, eyes darting around his now empty bag. He had checked in all the pockets and even in the pages of his books and inside his laptop. It definitely wasn't in there. He groaned. "Maybe I left it back at the cafe?"

"That would be a possibilty," Kiku said politely. "Perhaps your friend picked it up for you?"

Alfred froze. Shit. His fucking name was on that thing. If Arthur had seen it, then his secret was out. Why had he slipped up so quickly?!

"Are you afraid of him figuring out your identity?" Kiku questioned. Unfortunately, this wasn't the first time Alfred had ended up exposing himself to people. It was part of the reason he had been so keen on keeping it a secret in the first place.

"Yeah, a little. Alfred said, defeated, plopping down on the chair across the table. "He's a fan of my books, he'd go nuts if he figured out he had made friends with the author."

"Does he seem like the type to be a fangirl?" Kiku said, observing Alfred. Alfred ran a hand through his blonde hair as Kiku spoke. He was glad for his roommate. He was a bit weird, but they always got along and he was a lifesaver at times like these.

"No....." Alfred said, drifting off. The Brit actually seemed the last person you would expect to willingly go fangirl on him. He actually seemed to blush whenever he ended up anywhere near that.

"Then I am sure everything will be alright," Kiku said with a small smile.  
Alfred leaned back in his chair and sighed.

"Maybe you're right."

__________________________

Alfred sucked in a breath as the automatic glass doors closed behind him. He really had no choice but to come back and hope to retrieve his credit card. For one thing, he had no cash on him at the moment, and another thing, he needed that thing. Getting a new one was too much of a hassle, and he didn't want anyone touching his money, whether it was Arthur or not.

His eyes swept the library as he thought, his mind racing as looked around. he slowly walked over and stared around the shelves, eyes keen for the Brit with bright green eyes. What if Arthur didn't date liars? He was horrible! Man, and you think being a famous author would give a man some confidence.

He fumbled nervously with his hands in his jacket pockets as he walked. He was usually the confident one, why was he being so fidgety? It wasn't like Arthur was a jerk or anything, excusing all of his snarky comments. He had only known him for about a week, but the guy was already making him go weak in the knees.

He felt a hand on his shoulder, and for the third time, he turned to meet the glittering emerald orbs that this smaller man possessed.

"Hello, Allen," Arthur said flatly, saying his chosen nickname with somewhat importance. Alfred inwardly groaned.

"Hi." Alfred greeted, hoping he didn't sound like the train wreck he was. Oh god, why was he being so childish? He was twenty-eight and here he was sweating bullets like he was back at university, waiting for one of his professors to hand him a failed grade.

"You're not very creative when it comes to greetings, are you Mr. Jones?" Arthur said. Alfred's heart skipped a bit at finally hearing his real name come out of his mouth.

He smiled weakly. "Guess I'm not that good at keeping secrets." He said an air of defeat in his voice.

"Indeed," Arthur said, holding up his credit card, Alfred's name in bold print. "Stupid git, why did you leave something so important behind in the first place?"

Alfred only let out a nervous laugh as he took the card from Arthur, careful not to look at him.

"So....I imagine you have a lot of questions....." Alfred said, smashing his hand and card into his jacket pockets, and trying his best to give the other a grin.

Arthur furrowed his brow. "Of course I do. Didn't I mention several times how much I enjoy your work, Mr. Jones?"

"Just call me Alfred," Alfred said, a little revived. "I guess......sorry for not telling you?"

"Bollocks. Did you think I was some silly little fangirl?" Arthur said, glaring at Alfred. "Please don't insult my intelligence."

"I wasn't!" Alfred said, giving a sort of childish pout. "I just don't know what to expect from fans at this point. It's nice to know you like my work though." He replaced his pout with a huge grin.

"Quite," Arthur said, blushing furiously red. He looked away pointedly as he gave Alfred a slip of folded paper. "I'm always free on weekends. Now, I must get back to work before my boss gets mad at me again. He's not a very understanding fellow. Good day."

Alfred was left slightly confused as Arthur walked on, turning down to stare at the paper he had been given. He felt a smile grow on his face at seeing a phone number written down in smooth, neat handwriting.

End

**Author's Note:**

> Questions? Requests? Need to chat? Cats? Oreos? All are for my discord server on discord. You can go there and disrupt my peace and talk about cats or this fic prompt you wanted to ask me to consider writing. All of that and stuff. Come talk if you want.^^
> 
> https://discord.gg/zPdE9Qe


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